Hanoi (VNA), Sept. 25 -- Singapore's population has shrunk for the first time since 2003 as travel curbs and job losses brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed foreign workers from the global business hub.

According to an annual population report, the overall population of this country dropped by about 18,000 people, or 0.3 percent, to 5.69 million.

A sharp drop in the number of foreigners, down 2 percent to 1.64 million, as well as a marginal fall in permanent residents, outweighed a modest rise in citizens, some of whom returned from overseas as the pandemic spread globally.

The report attributed these trends largely to COVID-19 related challenges, caused by weak demand and travel restrictions, citing job losses in service...